The PhD in aerospace engineering program at Florida Tech gives doctoral students opportunities for creative investigation of scientific and engineering problems in topics related to aerospace. Located in the heart of Florida’s Space Coast, just south of Kennedy Space Center and near a large number of major high-tech engineering companies, Florida Tech was founded in support of the space program and since 1958 has offered students a comprehensive aerospace and aeronautics education.
The PhD in aerospace engineering program prepares graduates for their career using the latest body of knowledge in the industry and by providing excellent research facilities for conducting state-of-the-art research. Three areas of concentration are available for doctoral candidates:
Florida Tech’s faculty is highly distinguished with research interests in propulsion, flight mechanics and control, mechatronics, robotics, fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, computational methods, composite structures, lasers, and hurricane and wind damage, among others. Florida Tech’s low student-to-teacher ratio allows students working toward a PhD in aerospace engineering to work closely with professors who mentor their success.
Doctoral students earning a PhD in aerospace engineering at Florida Tech pursue research in a wide range of areas that align with their interests and career goals. The university is home to an abundance of aerospace engineering-related research centers and laboratories including:
Doctoral students in the PhD in aerospace engineering program have an opportunity to work with regional and international research organizations including NASA, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the Florida Department of Transportation, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Faculty members are engaged in a wide range of research topics, which students can participate in and contribute to, including:
Florida Tech is surrounded by thriving aerospace organizations and industries that provide internship and employment opportunities to students working toward a PhD in the aerospace engineering program. These includes:
Employers seek out graduates with a PhD in aerospace engineering from Florida Tech for careers in design and development, field service, marketing, software development, and research at leading aerospace firms. Employers that have hired Florida Tech graduates include NASA, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Harris Corp., GE, Pratt and Whitney, the US Army, Navy, and Air Force, and mainstream engineering firms.